Citroen AX GT.......no idea what it's like!
Discussion
Good update and nice to see an Ax GT and BX Gt 16v being used together as family transport (very cool in 2016 to have those two together!).
I've got a spare freshly machined big valve AX GT head and Piper cam & vernier if you want to stop the smoke and give it a bit more go at the top end?
I've got a spare freshly machined big valve AX GT head and Piper cam & vernier if you want to stop the smoke and give it a bit more go at the top end?
BenWRXSEi said:
Must........resist........!
Don't resist. Resistance is futile.rallycross said:
Good update and nice to see an Ax GT and BX Gt 16v being used together as family transport (very cool in 2016 to have those two together!).
I've got a spare freshly machined big valve AX GT head and Piper cam & vernier if you want to stop the smoke and give it a bit more go at the top end?
Cheers Craig. I don't think I'll be spending any money on non-essential stuff now as I sure as hell won't get it back come sale time. I did think about chucking a Newmans PH3 cam in it, as I have one in the Imp (running TU engine) and it drives/idles nicely, but gives a tiny bit more at the top. Would have worked quite nicely in this, and if I was keeping it I would have done, but it has to go I've got a spare freshly machined big valve AX GT head and Piper cam & vernier if you want to stop the smoke and give it a bit more go at the top end?
Rensko said:
Surely you're going to trade up to a Xantia Activa...? :P
No, that's a trade down! 
Had one before. Really impressive cars, amazing what they can do, but there's no place in my life for one at the moment. They're no where near as fun to drive as the BX or AX, and the UK only got the 2.0 turbo model, which is a pretty crap engine. Very juicy and not very fast!
They're just a bit too old to be carting all the kids around/using day to day in the winter, but a bit too young to be a special weekend car. For me anyway, everyone else is probably different
Nope, AX won't be replaced. We've already got a VTS-engined Saxo VTR too, and that provides the same kind of fun as the AX. It's not as fun to look at, or be inside, or even rag around the countryside, but it's MUCH faster, and it's nearly as fun.
Time to update the little tin box thread!
Still have it. Life is going up and down a fair bit at the moment. It was placed up for sale a week or so ago (at £2500....trying my luck a bit, but it's definitely worth £2k+) and had a couple of sniffs, but nothing more. Only advertised it on Facebook, and suspect eBay would yield more reward.
That said, as things stand, I'm not being forced to sell it. That could change tomorrow, or next week, or next year....whatever the future holds, it holds. For now, it's still here, and that means it's time to right some more wrongs, and make good on my claims of new steering racks and valve stem oil seals!
So, last Sunday, I brought it into work:
Doing it old-skool on the deck with jacks and axle stands, as the ramp wasn't free. Some d
head left an old BX on it.....
First job was to drain the coolant. In most cases, the cost of the coolant is minimal, and you'd just bin what comes out into an old gunky container, and fill with new. But, of course, this is running Waterless Coolant, which is the equivalent of liquid gold (both in terms of how highly I rate it, and how much it costs!) This means a clean container is needed, and a second one to catch any over spill, as it's slippery when splashed on a painted floor (pretty sure I've got that particular Jon Bovi album).
The plan for the work was to renew the valve stem oil seals, which really meant removing the cylinder head. The joy of doing that is that it would allow more access to the steering rack, which I also wanted to renew as I'm sure (read really, really hoping) that it's the cause of my bad suspension knock. There is certainly a lot of play in it! Along with the rack, I'll attend to any other business I find along the way that needs some attention. It didn't take long to spot it:
That's the vacuum advance hose, from the back of the carb. Fairly sizable opening in it. It wasn't the only one:
That'll be the cause of my small coolant leak, which returned a few weeks ago.
I also removed the exhaust heat shield, and harboured some intense feelings in my undercarriage at the colour the exhaust manifold had turned to:
Sexual. Kind of.
Anyway, 90mins after I'd begun draining the coolant, the head was off:
I'd forgotten once more how beautifully simple the AX is as a design to work on. Everything is clever, and no more or no less engineered than it needs to be.
So it was time to remove the steering rack, which in turn meant it was time to remove the steering column. A ballache in most cars, again, the AX was a delight. Two M8 nuts, one M8 bolt, two trim screws, a bit of fibreboard and undo the connectors. Bang! And the column is gone! This no issue, as the column has loads of play in it. It's almost as if it's done a quarter of a million miles, or something.
The rack was barely any trickier to get shot of. First you remove the tie rods complete, by undoing the M8 bolt each one is held in with:
The rack's ingenius. LHD and RHD cars uses the same tie rods and rack gear, it's just flipped upside and the opposite way around. Saxos and 106s also used this system.
The rack itself is tiny. Here's the old, versus the not-old:
The not-old rack had a surprise in store for me, once I'd left glowing feedback for the seller on eBay, of course.
A quick job with a file later, and it was all ready to go back together along with the tie rods, now fitted with replacement inner joints. This should improve the feel through the steering too, as the old setup was bushes. The new joints are exactly that; Joints, of the ball variety:
New rack installed, along with new column and new ignition barrel. You'll have to take my word on the latter two....
Fast forward to today (because I got sweet FA done in the intervening days), and it was time to replace the clutch cable. Again, a much easier job with the head out of the way.
Old cable out:
New cable in:
I've also got an engine mount to replace, as the RH side one has come apart, and the laws of gravity are all that bonds engine to bodyshell in that particular department.
The main job will be to strip the cylinder head, clean/de-coke it (or send it somewhere industrial) and rebuild it with the new seals, hopefully eliminating the blue fog emitted at cold start. As fun as it was.....
What I'm currently grappling with, is whether to do much more under the bonnet. The engine bay is solid, but ugly, and I can't help but think it'll be A) more appealing to a buyer with a tidier one, as they're always crusty behind the headlamps, B) more satisfying as a job or C) much better for me in the event I keep it. I could switch the gearbox to a lower mileage spare I've got too......
Anyway, there's a very real chance I'll drive it with the non-sticky clutch, non-smokey engine and non-rattly steering, and fall head over heels in love with it; Something that, to date, hasn't happened. I do really like it, and I'd LOVE to restore it to the last nut & bolt, but for some reason I'm not enjoying driving it as much as I thought I might. My memories of how fun they are might have been clouded slightly by the recent 106 Rallye and Saxo VTS affairs in my life, and the fact that I was 17 when I first drove one.
That said, it's also hard to fully enjoy a car you know isn't 100% there, and it never has been. With the latest round of work, the only remaining jobs will probably be to make it prettier, and preserve the lack of rust underneath.
Let's see what happens. At the end of the day, I'd only sell it if I had to. I'd really rather not!
Still have it. Life is going up and down a fair bit at the moment. It was placed up for sale a week or so ago (at £2500....trying my luck a bit, but it's definitely worth £2k+) and had a couple of sniffs, but nothing more. Only advertised it on Facebook, and suspect eBay would yield more reward.
That said, as things stand, I'm not being forced to sell it. That could change tomorrow, or next week, or next year....whatever the future holds, it holds. For now, it's still here, and that means it's time to right some more wrongs, and make good on my claims of new steering racks and valve stem oil seals!
So, last Sunday, I brought it into work:
Doing it old-skool on the deck with jacks and axle stands, as the ramp wasn't free. Some d
head left an old BX on it.....First job was to drain the coolant. In most cases, the cost of the coolant is minimal, and you'd just bin what comes out into an old gunky container, and fill with new. But, of course, this is running Waterless Coolant, which is the equivalent of liquid gold (both in terms of how highly I rate it, and how much it costs!) This means a clean container is needed, and a second one to catch any over spill, as it's slippery when splashed on a painted floor (pretty sure I've got that particular Jon Bovi album).
The plan for the work was to renew the valve stem oil seals, which really meant removing the cylinder head. The joy of doing that is that it would allow more access to the steering rack, which I also wanted to renew as I'm sure (read really, really hoping) that it's the cause of my bad suspension knock. There is certainly a lot of play in it! Along with the rack, I'll attend to any other business I find along the way that needs some attention. It didn't take long to spot it:
That's the vacuum advance hose, from the back of the carb. Fairly sizable opening in it. It wasn't the only one:
That'll be the cause of my small coolant leak, which returned a few weeks ago.
I also removed the exhaust heat shield, and harboured some intense feelings in my undercarriage at the colour the exhaust manifold had turned to:
Sexual. Kind of.
Anyway, 90mins after I'd begun draining the coolant, the head was off:
I'd forgotten once more how beautifully simple the AX is as a design to work on. Everything is clever, and no more or no less engineered than it needs to be.
So it was time to remove the steering rack, which in turn meant it was time to remove the steering column. A ballache in most cars, again, the AX was a delight. Two M8 nuts, one M8 bolt, two trim screws, a bit of fibreboard and undo the connectors. Bang! And the column is gone! This no issue, as the column has loads of play in it. It's almost as if it's done a quarter of a million miles, or something.
The rack was barely any trickier to get shot of. First you remove the tie rods complete, by undoing the M8 bolt each one is held in with:
The rack's ingenius. LHD and RHD cars uses the same tie rods and rack gear, it's just flipped upside and the opposite way around. Saxos and 106s also used this system.
The rack itself is tiny. Here's the old, versus the not-old:
The not-old rack had a surprise in store for me, once I'd left glowing feedback for the seller on eBay, of course.
A quick job with a file later, and it was all ready to go back together along with the tie rods, now fitted with replacement inner joints. This should improve the feel through the steering too, as the old setup was bushes. The new joints are exactly that; Joints, of the ball variety:
New rack installed, along with new column and new ignition barrel. You'll have to take my word on the latter two....
Fast forward to today (because I got sweet FA done in the intervening days), and it was time to replace the clutch cable. Again, a much easier job with the head out of the way.
Old cable out:
New cable in:
I've also got an engine mount to replace, as the RH side one has come apart, and the laws of gravity are all that bonds engine to bodyshell in that particular department.
The main job will be to strip the cylinder head, clean/de-coke it (or send it somewhere industrial) and rebuild it with the new seals, hopefully eliminating the blue fog emitted at cold start. As fun as it was.....
What I'm currently grappling with, is whether to do much more under the bonnet. The engine bay is solid, but ugly, and I can't help but think it'll be A) more appealing to a buyer with a tidier one, as they're always crusty behind the headlamps, B) more satisfying as a job or C) much better for me in the event I keep it. I could switch the gearbox to a lower mileage spare I've got too......
Anyway, there's a very real chance I'll drive it with the non-sticky clutch, non-smokey engine and non-rattly steering, and fall head over heels in love with it; Something that, to date, hasn't happened. I do really like it, and I'd LOVE to restore it to the last nut & bolt, but for some reason I'm not enjoying driving it as much as I thought I might. My memories of how fun they are might have been clouded slightly by the recent 106 Rallye and Saxo VTS affairs in my life, and the fact that I was 17 when I first drove one.
That said, it's also hard to fully enjoy a car you know isn't 100% there, and it never has been. With the latest round of work, the only remaining jobs will probably be to make it prettier, and preserve the lack of rust underneath.
Let's see what happens. At the end of the day, I'd only sell it if I had to. I'd really rather not!
Cool stuff, thanks for the thread update, and I'm glad you still love it enough to carry out the works that other people who were thinking of selling, wouldn't bother with.....
I love the AX, never been lucky enough to drive the GT unfortunately, although I always had a hankering for one. I delivered pizza in a white 1.5d for quite a while, which taught me a lot about momentum conservation and controlled understeer!
If only I had the space.....!
Cheers,
Tom
I love the AX, never been lucky enough to drive the GT unfortunately, although I always had a hankering for one. I delivered pizza in a white 1.5d for quite a while, which taught me a lot about momentum conservation and controlled understeer!
If only I had the space.....!
Cheers,
Tom
darkyoung1000 said:
Cool stuff, thanks for the thread update, and I'm glad you still love it enough to carry out the works that other people who were thinking of selling, wouldn't bother with.....
I love the AX, never been lucky enough to drive the GT unfortunately, although I always had a hankering for one. I delivered pizza in a white 1.5d for quite a while, which taught me a lot about momentum conservation and controlled understeer!
If only I had the space.....!
Cheers,
Tom
I struggle selling cars I know aren't right. Apart from the fact that if someone rocks up who knows what they're doing and could pick it apart and bid you in the bI love the AX, never been lucky enough to drive the GT unfortunately, although I always had a hankering for one. I delivered pizza in a white 1.5d for quite a while, which taught me a lot about momentum conservation and controlled understeer!
If only I had the space.....!
Cheers,
Tom
ks, I don't like the fact that it leaves me needing work. There's a chance the work never gets done, car deteriorates and ends up scrap. I know once you sell a car you have to accept its fate is not in your own hands anymore, but it would be criminal if this went to someone who didn't do much to keep it going, hence I feel that the better I make it, the more likely it is to survive out 'in the wild'. Aside from that, I HATE having cars that aren't running/driving as well as they could be. Once these bits are done, it's only really the rear axle that I could improve as far as driving goes. Looking forward to getting some country lanes in once it's finished Controlled oversteer in an AX usually though! They don't understeer much, but they're pretty tail happy. Ask me how I know....
Sillyhatday said:
Yeah, been following this for ages. I'd imagine you will really fall head over for it after these fixes.
I certainly have. Wish I knew what was so tantalising about old French cars with moon miles.
I hope not to, as I need to offload cars really.I certainly have. Wish I knew what was so tantalising about old French cars with moon miles.
I think the appeal with old French cars is that now that cars get more and more generic each year, the old French stuff stands out more and more, and because the differences were more than skin deep, people are beginning to realise that actually, they're quite fun.
The amount of people who've been in my BX 16v, or just chatted to me about it and said back in the day they hated them, but now they can actually see the appeal is probably a number I'd need more than two hands to count. AX GT is a bit different is they've always been quite popular overall with the younger generation.
Great read, and very enjoyable to see an old car be lavished with such attention. I had a '92 1.1i, 5 speed as my first car. That too was nippy for what it was and I bolted on some GT bits, seats, wheels and some Bilstein shocks, I loved it. I used to work on it a lot myself so seeing your pics has jogged a few memories, like the access in the footwell to the wishbone bolts, and a scar on my wrist from a badly positioned exhaust heat shield when replacing the thermostat!
The tinnyness, the plasticyness, the peculiar quirks so typical of Citroen in the past.
The tinnyness, the plasticyness, the peculiar quirks so typical of Citroen in the past.
Epic thread!
I owned one back in the mid Nineties , white , H68 CSP. I wondered if it were still around. Great fun . I fitted a Pipercross foam element to the top of the carb , it was fine until the cold weather hampered the running . Icing up of the carb i believe?
It was light and fun , teeny tacho , i think the headgasket went shortly after i sold it.
Great car though , and very comfortable.
I owned one back in the mid Nineties , white , H68 CSP. I wondered if it were still around. Great fun . I fitted a Pipercross foam element to the top of the carb , it was fine until the cold weather hampered the running . Icing up of the carb i believe?
It was light and fun , teeny tacho , i think the headgasket went shortly after i sold it.
Great car though , and very comfortable.
Hi mate what a cracking job your doing on your ax.
I absolutely love the gt I had two when I was younger a grey ax gt5 And a black 3 door which I put an ax prowler kit on it. Even when I look back at pics it still looks OK.
I had been looking for a decent ax gt for about a year but none turned out to be any good.
In the end I settled for a black 106 gti 1 owner with 47k genuine miles on it. Currently got it stripped to bit and replacing inner wings.
Top job though mate I wouldn't sell it if I were you.
I absolutely love the gt I had two when I was younger a grey ax gt5 And a black 3 door which I put an ax prowler kit on it. Even when I look back at pics it still looks OK.
I had been looking for a decent ax gt for about a year but none turned out to be any good.
In the end I settled for a black 106 gti 1 owner with 47k genuine miles on it. Currently got it stripped to bit and replacing inner wings.
Top job though mate I wouldn't sell it if I were you.
traffman said:
Epic thread!
I owned one back in the mid Nineties , white , H68 CSP. I wondered if it were still around. Great fun . I fitted a Pipercross foam element to the top of the carb , it was fine until the cold weather hampered the running . Icing up of the carb i believe?
It was light and fun , teeny tacho , i think the headgasket went shortly after i sold it.
Great car though , and very comfortable.
Yeah, still enjoying this thread! Keep it going!I owned one back in the mid Nineties , white , H68 CSP. I wondered if it were still around. Great fun . I fitted a Pipercross foam element to the top of the carb , it was fine until the cold weather hampered the running . Icing up of the carb i believe?
It was light and fun , teeny tacho , i think the headgasket went shortly after i sold it.
Great car though , and very comfortable.
I also got carb icing on my TU engined 205 XS. There was a pipe from the exhaust manifold to the air inlet, but mine had deteriorated. So after 30 mins or so in cold weather, it would ice up the first choke. So you had to nail it onto the 2nd choke
Good, if jerky fun.Your passion for obscure French cars is admirable! The notions you go through, the love hate relationships with it, all the same as I have had and still get with my little frenchies! Tiresome but oh so worth it! I am glad there is other people out there doing jobs to these cars properly and not only to 'keep them going' but give them a completely new lease of life as you have done here!
I couldn't agree more with the point you made about selling a car with everything right in preparation that the next owner isn't so kind! It's a bit of a paradox for a petrol head. We buy cars, love them, put them right, sell them because you have other projects/ fallen out of love/ forget how great they are, regret it forever; repeat! Countless times!
I couldn't agree more with the point you made about selling a car with everything right in preparation that the next owner isn't so kind! It's a bit of a paradox for a petrol head. We buy cars, love them, put them right, sell them because you have other projects/ fallen out of love/ forget how great they are, regret it forever; repeat! Countless times!
Garett said:
Great read, and very enjoyable to see an old car be lavished with such attention. I had a '92 1.1i, 5 speed as my first car. That too was nippy for what it was and I bolted on some GT bits, seats, wheels and some Bilstein shocks, I loved it. I used to work on it a lot myself so seeing your pics has jogged a few memories, like the access in the footwell to the wishbone bolts, and a scar on my wrist from a badly positioned exhaust heat shield when replacing the thermostat!
The tinnyness, the plasticyness, the peculiar quirks so typical of Citroen in the past.
Cheers. I don't really class it as 'lavishing' it. To me, it's just repairing it thorough, as opposed to just doing MoT work. What's the point of having a car purely for enjoyment if it doesn't drive like it left the factory?The tinnyness, the plasticyness, the peculiar quirks so typical of Citroen in the past.
I had a mate with a 1.1 who did all the kind of things you did. It was nippy for what it was!
traffman said:
Epic thread!
I owned one back in the mid Nineties , white , H68 CSP. I wondered if it were still around. Great fun . I fitted a Pipercross foam element to the top of the carb , it was fine until the cold weather hampered the running . Icing up of the carb i believe?
It was light and fun , teeny tacho , i think the headgasket went shortly after i sold it.
Great car though , and very comfortable.
Thanks! The bolt-on air filters used to make for a roarty noise, but used to lose grunt too. They used to come with a larger jet for the car, but I don't think the original intake setup was so restrictive that it needed one. Biggest problem with cold running is the setting of the choke, and the cars that have had the thermostat removed (like mine had). Used to ice up after 15mins or so.I owned one back in the mid Nineties , white , H68 CSP. I wondered if it were still around. Great fun . I fitted a Pipercross foam element to the top of the carb , it was fine until the cold weather hampered the running . Icing up of the carb i believe?
It was light and fun , teeny tacho , i think the headgasket went shortly after i sold it.
Great car though , and very comfortable.
H68 CSP - last taxed 2006, no MoT details held by DVLA. Not looking good I'm afraid! That said, I own a BX that comes up with exactly that if you punch it into the system, and I can see it out the window, very much still existing
Stevos2000 said:
Hi mate what a cracking job your doing on your ax.
I absolutely love the gt I had two when I was younger a grey ax gt5 And a black 3 door which I put an ax prowler kit on it. Even when I look back at pics it still looks OK.
I had been looking for a decent ax gt for about a year but none turned out to be any good.
In the end I settled for a black 106 gti 1 owner with 47k genuine miles on it. Currently got it stripped to bit and replacing inner wings.
Top job though mate I wouldn't sell it if I were you.
Thanks. I remember the Prowler kit, that the one with the twin spot lamps on each side of the front bumper? Crimes against AXs I absolutely love the gt I had two when I was younger a grey ax gt5 And a black 3 door which I put an ax prowler kit on it. Even when I look back at pics it still looks OK.
I had been looking for a decent ax gt for about a year but none turned out to be any good.
In the end I settled for a black 106 gti 1 owner with 47k genuine miles on it. Currently got it stripped to bit and replacing inner wings.
Top job though mate I wouldn't sell it if I were you.
I think someone I knew fitted one to an AX Forte and painted it Poseidon blue. I prefer the Cituning kit myself, and I'd still consider one now if I was building a project car.106 GTi is a riot. We've got a Saxo VTS (well, a VTR with a VTS engine.....basically a VTS weighs a little bit less) and it's just such a laugh. Pains me to say it, but it's probably more fun than the AX. So much faster in the bends and on the straights, though you can fit all the gear to an AX to create something even better. Lose the originality though, which for me on this car is one of the best bits.
I don't want to sell it, it's just a case of whether I have to or not. Of all the cars I own, it's the one that makes least sense to keep, however much I like it.
mooseracer said:
This
I don't like the fact that it leaves me needing work. There's a chance the work never gets done, car deteriorates and ends up scrap.
Is why I hope you don't sell the AX.
It's one of my biggest issues, but then once you sell a car, you have to accept its fate could be good or bad. My logic is that if I make it really, really good to drive and solid mechanically and structurally (I've got one of the best bases I could hope for in this respect) then someone might push it over the line with the respray. It's the mileage that will put people off, which I think is simply retarded. It just makes the history and story of the car much more interesting.I don't like the fact that it leaves me needing work. There's a chance the work never gets done, car deteriorates and ends up scrap.
Is why I hope you don't sell the AX.
abarber said:
Yeah, still enjoying this thread! Keep it going!
I also got carb icing on my TU engined 205 XS. There was a pipe from the exhaust manifold to the air inlet, but mine had deteriorated. So after 30 mins or so in cold weather, it would ice up the first choke. So you had to nail it onto the 2nd choke Good, if jerky fun.
Yup, the hot air pipe usually goes AWOL as the heat shield rusts and breaks off. That and the thermostat make a big difference to how they run.I also got carb icing on my TU engined 205 XS. There was a pipe from the exhaust manifold to the air inlet, but mine had deteriorated. So after 30 mins or so in cold weather, it would ice up the first choke. So you had to nail it onto the 2nd choke
Good, if jerky fun.Willo26 said:
Your passion for obscure French cars is admirable! The notions you go through, the love hate relationships with it, all the same as I have had and still get with my little frenchies! Tiresome but oh so worth it! I am glad there is other people out there doing jobs to these cars properly and not only to 'keep them going' but give them a completely new lease of life as you have done here!
I couldn't agree more with the point you made about selling a car with everything right in preparation that the next owner isn't so kind! It's a bit of a paradox for a petrol head. We buy cars, love them, put them right, sell them because you have other projects/ fallen out of love/ forget how great they are, regret it forever; repeat! Countless times!
Thanks, though the AX and BX are fairly conventional by froggie standards, to be fair I couldn't agree more with the point you made about selling a car with everything right in preparation that the next owner isn't so kind! It's a bit of a paradox for a petrol head. We buy cars, love them, put them right, sell them because you have other projects/ fallen out of love/ forget how great they are, regret it forever; repeat! Countless times!
I don't really have a love/hate relationship, as I just love them full stop. The AX is a lovely car to work on, I love the way it looks and the fact that from an engineering point of view, it's a damn good car. The only bug bear is that for some reason I'm not enjoying driving it like I remember, though to be fair, I've always got a boot full of BX parts and tools, kids seats in it etc. If I attack a corner, the sound of everything sliding around is a bit off-putting. Once these mechanical bits are done, I intend to enjoy some back-road drives and I'm sure the smiles will turn into the massive cheesey grins I remember You're right, most people do just 'keep them going' and spend most of their time polishing, worrying about how they come across in shows or the like. I'm not so fussed about that, and I'm more fussed about making it drive like it's supposed to. I enjoy a tidy car, but the looks come last. This one looks tidy enough, especially with the refurbed wheels etc.
If I sell it I doubt I'll get another, but then I always say that!
Kitchski said:
Thanks, though the AX and BX are fairly conventional by froggie standards, to be fair I don't really have a love/hate relationship, as I just love them full stop. The AX is a lovely car to work on, I love the way it looks and the fact that from an engineering point of view, it's a damn good car. The only bug bear is that for some reason I'm not enjoying driving it like I remember, though to be fair, I've always got a boot full of BX parts and tools, kids seats in it etc. If I attack a corner, the sound of everything sliding around is a bit off-putting. Once these mechanical bits are done, I intend to enjoy some back-road drives and I'm sure the smiles will turn into the massive cheesey grins I remember
You're right, most people do just 'keep them going' and spend most of their time polishing, worrying about how they come across in shows or the like. I'm not so fussed about that, and I'm more fussed about making it drive like it's supposed to. I enjoy a tidy car, but the looks come last. This one looks tidy enough, especially with the refurbed wheels etc.
If I sell it I doubt I'll get another, but then I always say that!
The AX is fairly conventional and a hoot to work on I must admit! BX a bit more 'french' with suspension and dash layout but I would class them as obscure as they are unmistakably french unlike the mass market stuff PSA turn out now a days! I agree with the nothing more nothing less thesis that these cars were built around and I think they hit a sweet spot between old and modern! Built to last not to be recycled! I don't really have a love/hate relationship, as I just love them full stop. The AX is a lovely car to work on, I love the way it looks and the fact that from an engineering point of view, it's a damn good car. The only bug bear is that for some reason I'm not enjoying driving it like I remember, though to be fair, I've always got a boot full of BX parts and tools, kids seats in it etc. If I attack a corner, the sound of everything sliding around is a bit off-putting. Once these mechanical bits are done, I intend to enjoy some back-road drives and I'm sure the smiles will turn into the massive cheesey grins I remember You're right, most people do just 'keep them going' and spend most of their time polishing, worrying about how they come across in shows or the like. I'm not so fussed about that, and I'm more fussed about making it drive like it's supposed to. I enjoy a tidy car, but the looks come last. This one looks tidy enough, especially with the refurbed wheels etc.
If I sell it I doubt I'll get another, but then I always say that!
I think everyone remembers cars through rose tinted glasses although like you say with everything rattling around and a few problems still to rectify that could be the issue your having! I like to have cars driving exactly as intended and if anything is wrong it does dampen the whole experience much more than a little scratch or dent does! I like to take time for piece of mind that the job is done as good as it could be!
To be fair it sounds like you've already bought another one already in your head, haha! Good luck with your other projects I've enjoyed reading this one!
Kitchski said:
Thanks, though the AX and BX are fairly conventional by froggie standards, to be fair I don't really have a love/hate relationship, as I just love them full stop. The AX is a lovely car to work on, I love the way it looks and the fact that from an engineering point of view, it's a damn good car. The only bug bear is that for some reason I'm not enjoying driving it like I remember, though to be fair, I've always got a boot full of BX parts and tools, kids seats in it etc. If I attack a corner, the sound of everything sliding around is a bit off-putting. Once these mechanical bits are done, I intend to enjoy some back-road drives and I'm sure the smiles will turn into the massive cheesey grins I remember
You're right, most people do just 'keep them going' and spend most of their time polishing, worrying about how they come across in shows or the like. I'm not so fussed about that, and I'm more fussed about making it drive like it's supposed to. I enjoy a tidy car, but the looks come last. This one looks tidy enough, especially with the refurbed wheels etc.
If I sell it I doubt I'll get another, but then I always say that!
Ahh, you must get all of that crap out of the back. Hacking along B roads is what these are all about! Compliant suspension, willing engines and quite a playful balance. I don't really have a love/hate relationship, as I just love them full stop. The AX is a lovely car to work on, I love the way it looks and the fact that from an engineering point of view, it's a damn good car. The only bug bear is that for some reason I'm not enjoying driving it like I remember, though to be fair, I've always got a boot full of BX parts and tools, kids seats in it etc. If I attack a corner, the sound of everything sliding around is a bit off-putting. Once these mechanical bits are done, I intend to enjoy some back-road drives and I'm sure the smiles will turn into the massive cheesey grins I remember You're right, most people do just 'keep them going' and spend most of their time polishing, worrying about how they come across in shows or the like. I'm not so fussed about that, and I'm more fussed about making it drive like it's supposed to. I enjoy a tidy car, but the looks come last. This one looks tidy enough, especially with the refurbed wheels etc.
If I sell it I doubt I'll get another, but then I always say that!
I remember hacking along some back roads in Hampshire many moons ago, a little too fast in my 205 XS. Hacking around a left corner there was a load of gravel leading up to a T junction. I ended up locking the brakes a few times approaching the junction. Luckily it was clear so a full purchase left turn, both sides of the road, lots of scrabble and away. There was a business man in a new 7 series parked up opposite the junction. His face was a picture!
My XS used to pop and backfire a little bit on the overrun from high revs. Does your GT do this?
Enjoyed reading this thread. A friend had one at uni,about 15 years ago now. I remember fondly the pop-up sunroof. His was broken, I opened it and it departed from the car causing a nasty surprise for the following vehicle. It's brakes were also shot, stopping took planning.
But it never ever let him down, unlike the Xsara he bought to replace it!
But it never ever let him down, unlike the Xsara he bought to replace it!
Willo26 said:
The AX is fairly conventional and a hoot to work on I must admit! BX a bit more 'french' with suspension and dash layout but I would class them as obscure as they are unmistakably french unlike the mass market stuff PSA turn out now a days! I agree with the nothing more nothing less thesis that these cars were built around and I think they hit a sweet spot between old and modern! Built to last not to be recycled!
I think everyone remembers cars through rose tinted glasses although like you say with everything rattling around and a few problems still to rectify that could be the issue your having! I like to have cars driving exactly as intended and if anything is wrong it does dampen the whole experience much more than a little scratch or dent does! I like to take time for piece of mind that the job is done as good as it could be!
To be fair it sounds like you've already bought another one already in your head, haha! Good luck with your other projects I've enjoyed reading this one!
I suppose the BX is fairly obscure to most, but when you clock the kind of engineering you find on more 'Citroeny' Citroens, the BX looks pretty conventional!I think everyone remembers cars through rose tinted glasses although like you say with everything rattling around and a few problems still to rectify that could be the issue your having! I like to have cars driving exactly as intended and if anything is wrong it does dampen the whole experience much more than a little scratch or dent does! I like to take time for piece of mind that the job is done as good as it could be!
To be fair it sounds like you've already bought another one already in your head, haha! Good luck with your other projects I've enjoyed reading this one!
Won't be buying another in my head just yet, haven't even sold this one! I may well still have it in a year's time!
abarber said:
Ahh, you must get all of that crap out of the back. Hacking along B roads is what these are all about! Compliant suspension, willing engines and quite a playful balance.
I remember hacking along some back roads in Hampshire many moons ago, a little too fast in my 205 XS. Hacking around a left corner there was a load of gravel leading up to a T junction. I ended up locking the brakes a few times approaching the junction. Luckily it was clear so a full purchase left turn, both sides of the road, lots of scrabble and away. There was a business man in a new 7 series parked up opposite the junction. His face was a picture!
My XS used to pop and backfire a little bit on the overrun from high revs. Does your GT do this?
Oh it definitely needs a clearout. I'm still carrying loads of spares around with me, but then it's never been fully sorted, so I never had a reason to get it spot on. With all this latest work, I reckon I'll have more of a case to attend to the little details, like putting some tape under the floor mat to stop it turning sideways I remember hacking along some back roads in Hampshire many moons ago, a little too fast in my 205 XS. Hacking around a left corner there was a load of gravel leading up to a T junction. I ended up locking the brakes a few times approaching the junction. Luckily it was clear so a full purchase left turn, both sides of the road, lots of scrabble and away. There was a business man in a new 7 series parked up opposite the junction. His face was a picture!
My XS used to pop and backfire a little bit on the overrun from high revs. Does your GT do this?
Had a work-friend with the 205 XS back in the days I had my GT. Very similar cars, and the 205 felt slightly more 'grown up' and more like a normal car, where as the AX felt like half a car in comparison. A teeny bit quicker, perhaps. He sold it to my mate's girlfriend and bought a black AX GT like mine. The 205 lasted a week before she pulled out on a Focus.
It does pop and puff a little bit, but only as much as a standard exhaust will allow.
sjabrown said:
Enjoyed reading this thread. A friend had one at uni,about 15 years ago now. I remember fondly the pop-up sunroof. His was broken, I opened it and it departed from the car causing a nasty surprise for the following vehicle. It's brakes were also shot, stopping took planning.
But it never ever let him down, unlike the Xsara he bought to replace it!
He was unlucky (or the car behind him was!) When they break, they're normally an arse to remove from the car, not the other way around. The brakes were probably fully-operation.....that's normal But it never ever let him down, unlike the Xsara he bought to replace it!
Had a couple of Xsaras too. Only remembered the other day that I had more than one, while recounting all the cars I've owned. Says everything when I forgot I actually had one. If it were a VTS, I'd probably have remembered it, but then it wouldn't be a VTS as I'd buy the 306 GTi-6 instead.
Yeh I remember a few people doing the vts engine conversions on them and putting gts badges on them.
Yeh the 106 gti is a great little project for me. My wife had a 106 gti for her first car so kind of made me get one of those when I couldn't find a decent ax.
I converted all the black ax gt to four stud from a 106 at the time and put vtr wheels on it.
Was great fun back in the day.
Yeh the 106 gti is a great little project for me. My wife had a 106 gti for her first car so kind of made me get one of those when I couldn't find a decent ax.
I converted all the black ax gt to four stud from a 106 at the time and put vtr wheels on it.
Was great fun back in the day.
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